Connected
by Tsugumi Winters
Summary: telepathiclink!KID&Conan KID vs Conan vs Rock. Apparently, rock trumps both and the losers have to learn to deal with the consequences. Not really as cracky as the summary makes it sound.
1. Chapter 1, Tsugumi

**Title:** Connected  
**Author:** Tsugumi Winters  
**Fandom:** Detective Conan / Magic Kaito  
**Word Count:** 1239  
**Rating:** K-plus (PG)  
**Characters:** Kaitou KID, Conan Edogawa & a sentient jewel  
**Disclaimer:** I, Tsugumi Winters, sadly own neither the characters nor the animes/mangas mentioned in this fic. Animes/Mangas and characters are owned by the awesomeness that is Gosho Aoyama. I only own myself, the computer I'm using, the house I'm in and everything inside said house.  
**Notes:** O...kay, so this is a gift, of sorts, to Dragon-sama for all the little writings she did for me (all of which can be found in Chatty Plunnies). It was prompted by www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5147550/18/ (Chatty Plunnies) which was written by Dragon-sama (_Dragon-sama and/or Starling_).  
This will be a one-shot, though I _might_ add some snippets afterward.

1) Getsuka no Kijutsushi [月下の奇術師] - Moonlight Illusionist; Taken from Detective Conan file 633.

2) 'B' sounds, 'M' sounds, 'P' sounds, etc, are difficult to pronounce without moving the lips. I'm not sure if it's even possible.

**Edit:** Dragon-sama & I have decided to make this a round robin thing. So next chapter is hers. She's just asking me to post it so as to prevent having to keep switching stories while reading. **Alright, before I forget, there is a possibility that this fic will turn in the direction of KaitoxShin'ichi/Conan or Shin'ichi/ConanxKaito. If it _does_ happen, you will see a ****Warning at the beginning of the chapter. Just keep your eyes open!**

* * *

In the quiet of the night, rustling could be heard. Under the gentle light of the moon, a figure stood. The figure wore mostly white, but underneath the white jacket were a cobalt blue, collared and long-sleeved shirt, and a scarlet tie. As the figure raised a stone into the light with his glove-clad hand, the monocle covering his right eye gleamed and the white hat on his head tilted slightly. The charm hanging from the monocle swayed gently in the breeze and a white, four-leafed clover design could be seen every time the monocle managed to catch light.

Lips parted, and a decidedly male voice left them.

"So, are you the so-called Pandora that I'm looking for?"

The stone- a jewel- merely shone as it had under fluorescent lights. Indigo eyes closed in disappointment, only to open again as light, but swift, footsteps let themselves be heard. No doubt, it came from the staircase leading to the roof. And, no doubt, the one climbing that staircase was--

The door to the roof opened slightly, then quickly slammed again the wall, revealing an out-of-breath child who couldn't be any older than eight years old. The child- male- had short and neat russet hair, as well as intelligent and mature sky blue eyes which were hidden behind overly-large glasses. The boy was clad in a crimson shirt, which was partially covered by a navy blue sports jacket (with white designs), and a pair of white trousers. As the boy caught his breath, his lips pulled up into a smirk, creating an expression rarely found on a child's face.

-- "Tantei-kun," the white-clad figure greeted though it was his back facing the new arrival.

"Kaitou KID," the boy replied, taking a few confident steps forward as he shoved his hands into his pockets. "There's barely any wind- you won't be able to use your hang-glider. There's only me and you, so you can't disguise as someone else to slip away." The smirk widened into a small grin as the boy asked, "So, what do you plan to do now, Getsuka no Kijutsushi-san(1)?"

The grin slipped into a frown though when the one in white- KID- ignored the question and asked, "So, tantei-kun, what do you think of this gem?" He twisted his body slightly to face 'tantei-kun' as he tossed the stone up into the air and caught it, then did it again. The gem shone every time it was airborne.

The frown stayed, but the boy answered, "I think the legend behind the stone is crap-" the gem gleamed- "and that people could at least think up much more realistic legends or don't make any at all. It's just a rock- after all."

KID stopped toying with the stone and opened his mouth to comment on that, but was beaten to it by a voice. "**_I resent that remark. A simple 'I don't believe in the legend' would have sufficed._**" The voice was gravelly and grating, but at the same time smooth and soothing, and it resounded in their ears and minds. It seemed like it was spoken, but at the same time, it seemed like it was merely their imaginations.

"Very funny, KID," 'tantei-kun' said in a deadpan, though he was also looking around warily, like he subconsciously knew that something was wrong. "I know that impersonation is your kind of thing- but impersonating a _rock_," he scoffed and shook his head. His hands had slipped out of his pockets and his body was tense and ready to move at the slightest feeling of danger. Despite his words, 'tantei-kun' was aware that KID was not the one who spoke and he could feel a presence other than KID's and his own. That presence was coming from the stone KID held and it emanated power and _sentiency_.

"I haven't done anything, tantei-kun," KID informed gravely as he eyed the stone he held warily, seeming like he was considering just letting go of it.

"**_You mortals still haven't learned to respect the legends even after 4000 years,_**" the voice sneered.

"**_No matter. I will correct that._**"

And blinding light exploded from the gem, encompassing both the boy and the KID and swallowing their startled cries.

* * *

The boy groaned as he clutched his head. It felt like someone attempted to bash his head in with a... a... _something_. From a little ways away, he heard a similar groan. The boy opened his eyes and he looked up to see white.

_White, white, white... Oh right, KID. Ow..._ Eyes fluttered close from pain.

"Ugh, tantei-kun, stop talking," KID groaned from where he was, "it's making my headache worse."

_Talking...? But I'm just thinking, right?_

'_Is he mumbling to himself or something?_' Eyes shot open. That voice was KID's, but it lacked the mocking undertone that was always present when speaking. '_Okay, so checklist time._' Sky blue eyes widened. KID's lips weren't moving!? '_Hands, check. Feet, check..._'

_Ventriloquism?_ The boy wondered.

'_What the heck is tantei-kun doing? He's mumbling again! And what about ventriloquism?_'

"KID? Tell me, are you speaking or thinking to yourself?" Because there's no way that that was just ventriloquism! The words were too clear, and the words difficult to use ventriloquism on weren't slurred or sound-substituted.

"What?" There! The lips moved this time! And that mocking undertone was back! "Tantei-kun, are you sure you didn't hit your head a little too hard?"

"What's 'checklist time'?" 'Tantei-kun' demanded and indigo eyes opened and met sky blue eyes.

"Okay, I know for a fact I didn't say that one aloud," KID grumbled. "What are you getting at, tantei-kun?"

_So... a, i, u, e, o... ka, ki, ku, ke, ko... sa, shi, su-_

"Okay, so you learned ventriloquism. Good for you."

"Just shut up and listen!" _se, so... ma, mi, mu, me, mo... ba, bi, bu, be, bo... pa, pi, pu, pe, po._

"That... can't possibly have been ventriloquism- even _I_ can't pronounce those syllables _that_ clearly! (2)" The one clad in white peered disbelievingly at the boy.

"I think- I think we're hearing each other's thoughts," 'tantei-kun' said hesitantly.

"_**Correct.**_" As soon as they heard the voice, the past few minutes before their blackout was remembered. The stone was on the ground where KID had dropped it. "_**I had planned to just turn you insane, but apparently you still have important things to do, so this telepathy will have to suffice.**_"

"Insane? Wait, what do you mean!? Put us back to normal!" 'Tantei-kun' shouted, but there was no reply.

"Telepathy..." KID muttered, "Well, this is gonna make planning my heists difficult."


	2. Chapter 2, Dragonsama

**Title:** Connected  
**Author:** Dragon-sama (Dragon-sama and/or Starling)  
**Fandom:** Detective Conan / Magic Kaito  
**Word Count:** 1264  
**Rating:** K-plus (PG)  
**Characters:** Kaito Kuroba, Conan Edogawa  
**Disclaimer:** I, Dragon-sama, sadly own neither the characters nor the animes/mangas mentioned in this fic. Animes/Mangas and characters are owned by the awesomeness that is Gosho Aoyama. I do own Tsu-chan's soul, but who's counting? :D  
[Tsugumi: ... As long as she keeps feeding my soul KaiShin goodies, I'm not going to mind!]  
**Notes:** I decided to steal Tsu-chan's story! XD No, we actually decided to try a round-robin approach to this, so chapter two is mine! Hajime!

(1) Kaito's intelligent sounding spiel is not mine in any way, shape, or form. I stole it directly from Wiki: http://en(dot)wikipedia(dot)org/wiki/Shimabara_Rebellion

* * *

Kaito had his head on his desk, with his hands over his ears in a futile attempt to block out the annoying voice in the back of his head. Unfortunately, that wasn't metaphorical.

_And now for something __**really**__ challenging; we get to learn our times tables!_ the mock cheerful voice said. _Now class, one times one is?_

'_Tantei-kun,_' Kaito thought desperately as he swallowed a whimper. '_Do you really have to give me a blow by blow account of your day?_'

_Yes,_ came the flat reply, and Kaito could sense the annoyance. _One times three is? Why what a surprise, it's three!_

'_Tantei-kuuun!_' Kaito wasn't above whining, and this had been going on for the past--he raised his head a fraction to check the clock--three hours and twenty two minutes. His head thunked loudly as he let it drop down again, ears still ringing with the mind-numbing times-table exercises.

_Suffer, you stupid thief. I already promised I wouldn't use this to expose you, _Conan snapped unfeelingly. _And oh my, we actually get to move on! Two times one is?_

Kaito had to admit a new respect for the shrunken detective; not because of the promise, though that was both surprising and welcome, but because the boy had managed to live through elementary school again without committing one of the murders he spent so often solving. The magician didn't think he'd have been able to handle it nearly so well, at least without going insane.

_You already are insane,_ Conan mumbled, and Kaito wondered if he was supposed to have heard that comment.

'_Tantei-kun, if I promise to kidnap you and take you out to a __**real**__ lunch, will you stop torturing me?_' Kaito pleaded, willing to do almost anything at this point to get the detective to stop. There was an odd silence, and Kaito assumed he'd surprised the other into silence. Thank god!

_**Why**__ would that be a good idea?_ Conan finally asked, but Kaito could hear the eager undertones. Yes! Tantei-kun was so much easier to read like this!

'_Because one; you'll get to see who I am in real life, not that you don't already have my name--_'

_Kuroba Kaito, yes, and I'm very surprised that Hakuba is in your class. Why hasn't he caught you yet?_ Conan interrupted curiously.

'_Because he's too stubborn and obsessed to be able to see what's right under his nose. __**And**__ I'm that good,_'Kaito thought smugly. '_Anyway, two; you'll get a free meal out of it, three; you get to get away from Kiddie Time for a while, and four; you might actually have fun! You don't get to hang around people your own age that often, after all!_'

_And you're a good candidate for this?_ the detective asked skeptically.

'_Better than your Osakan friend. Have you ever hung out with him without it turning into another murder case?_' Kaito teased.

_Oh shut up, stupid thief._ _Fine, fine, but only because I want to ask you questions, and Haibara is already suspicious that something's up._

'_Your fellow height-challenged victim?_' Kaito asked, grinning into his arms at the mental snarl. He frowned at a sudden thought. '_You aren't going to tell her about this, are you?_'

_I hardly see how I can hide it, not from her._ Conan replied dourly. _She won't let me dodge out of her questions--_

"Kuroba!" The voice right next to his ear made him shoot bolt upright in his chair, and he stared wide-eyed at the glowering teacher. He ignored the mental snickering, and pasted an ingratiating smile on his face.

"Uh, yes?"

"Since my class is apparently so easy as to put you to sleep, I suppose you'll have no trouble at all answering the question I just asked?" the teacher said pleasantly, though his eyes were boring holes into the nervous teen.

"Why Sensei! I was listening to everything you said!" Kaito lied. He mentally reviewed the past five minutes, trying to remember what had been going on in his actual ears rather then his mental ones. Stupid detective...

_I heard that!_

'_You were supposed to!_'

Kaito didn't take his eyes off the teacher as he focused on his peripheral vision; ah, this was their history class? He's snuck in to spy on the teacher's notes earlier that week--

_You did what?!_ came the indignant shriek. Kaito sniggered, because the thoughts that followed indicated Tantei-kun's outburst hadn't been as silent as the boy would have liked.

--So he had a good idea on what the teacher _should_ have been talking about. Time to see if his luck would hold out.

"The Shimabara no Ran was an uprising largely involving Japanese peasants, most of them Christians, in 1637–1638 during the Edo period(1)," Kaito recited confidently, inwardly praying hard.

'_Oh dear God, Budda, any deity out there who looks kindly on hard working magicians (who sometimes steal), please let me be right!_'

_If there __**are**__ any gods out there that look kindly on idiot thieves, I think we're all in trouble..._ Conan grumbled.

'_Not now Tantei-kun!_'

Kaito's teacher was frowning at him, but he kept smiling pleasantly back. Finally the teacher turned around to return to the front of the room.

"Very well, Kuroba-kun. Next time, don't slack off in my class!"

'_Oh yes! Score another one for the Great Kaito!_'

_I can't believe you __**cheat!**_Conan actually sounded disgusted at that, and Kaito didn't have to feign the outrage he felt.

'_Hey! I don't cheat! I just have to keep ahead in other ways, especially when I have a heist! I mean, how do you think I'd explain away the fact that my grades dip every time there's KID heist? Hakuba'd be all over me, 'cause I know he monitors my grades!_'

_You...really think a lot about this, don't you? _Conan's thoughts were quiet.

'_Of course! I'd have been caught long ago if I couldn't think about twelve steps ahead of all you detectives!_'

_And I'm sure it doesn't help that I'm now privy to those steps? _Conan's voice was light and teasing, nearly causing Kaito to gape in shock. Who knew the detective could do something as human as making a joke?

_Hey! I'm not that bad...am I?_

'_You, Tantei-kun, have a lot on your mind in the best of circumstances. Which is why I think I'll make it my new hobby to make sure you loosen up!_' Kaito managed to inject all of his sudden high spirits into that remark, and he heard the mental gulp of dread.

_I __**hate **__that stupid rock...._

'_Hang tight, I'm on my way~!_' Kaito thought cheerfully as the bell signaling the end of class tolled throughout the school.

He leapt from his seat, dodging the worried Aoko and the suspicious Hakuba (feeling guilty about the first but rather amused at the second) to speed out of the classroom. Humming a cheerful tune, he pulled out his cell phone, made a quick call with appropriate voice to get him out of class for the rest of the day (and because he was such a nice guy, he did the same for the shrunken detective), then all but skipped down the halls and out of school.

_Will you stop that incessant noise?_ Conan complained as Kaito began humming again, and the magician smirked in a rather evil way. Revenge was so sweet! Singing at the top of his...eh, mind, he began coming up with creative lyrics to his little tune.

_This is beyond hell..._ his Tantei-kun moaned, and Kaito laughed freely for the first time since the disaster struck.

_

* * *

_

A/N: Back to you, Tsu-chan!


	3. Chapter 3, Tsugumi

**Title:** Connected  
**Author:** Tsugumi Winters  
**Fandom:** Detective Conan / Magic Kaito  
**Word Count:** 2138  
**Rating:** T (PG-13)  
**Warning:** Swearing  
**Characters:** Kaito Kuroba, Conan Edogawa, Koizumi Akako & her servant  
**Disclaimer:** I, Tsugumi "Tsu" Winters, own neither the characters nor the animes/mangas mentioned in this fic. Animes/Mangas and characters are owned by the illustrious Gosho Aoyama.  
**Notes:** I'm sorry I took so long. My only excuses are school and my inability to think continuations up quickly...

(1) Oni - I refer you to en(dot)wikipedia(dot)org/wiki/Oni_(folklore)

Also, this takes place on the same night as Chapter 1.

* * *

He stared at the mansion. It was a creepy mansion— in fact, it looked like it had come out of a horror movie. The mansion was western-styled but seemingly abandoned— the paint on its walls was peeling off, pieces of the roof were gone, and the garden surrounding it was overgrown with weeds. Though its windows were dark, it seemed as if there were shadows moving beyond them. If those weren't enough, the night sky was filled with clouds that blocked the moon and shrouded everything in darkness. Lightning flashed in the distance— and even then, the light-created shadows _oozed_ malice from the pillar-like extensions of the mansion.

What was he doing here again?

'_She__ should be here._'

Oh right, _that_.

* * *

"_We need to get rid of it- this... telepathy, or whatever it is!" Conan exclaimed. He __would not__ be able to live like this! Not when he had an identity to keep, an organization to bring down, and a girlfriend to fantasize about! Well, he couldn't really call her his girlfriend given that he hadn't really proposed that they go steady yet, and he couldn't do so until the organization was brought down, but still..._

"_I'm not sure there's anything __to__ counter this," KID said, "except the jewel itself."_

_Conan opened his mouth to say something— he didn't really know what he planned to say, but he needed to say __something__— however, he was cut off by KID. "Wait," he said suddenly with realization, "I might know a way." This was followed by a barrage of thoughts from KID that did nothing but confuse Conan, and give him a headache worse than what he already had._

_Well, he __did__ manage to get an idea of what KID was thinking about._

"_A __witch__? You've got to be kidding me," he muttered but, given his current situation, he was going to try to keep an open mind. His perception on what was possible and impossible seemed to be taking quite a beating recently— __Really__, talking jewels? Telepathic links? Heck, __shrinking people__?_

_Had true magic been in existence all this time?_

_What if he'd been arresting all the wrong people?_

_Conan shivered. He'd had more than 200 cases as Conan, and had come across more than 500 as Shinichi. What was the possibility that some of them were mistaken?_

_Still, the people he'd pointed his finger at had confessed to being the culprits... Could they have been spelled into doing so?_

'Tantei-kun,_' Conan's head snapped up, '_don't think about it._'_

_A hundred protests came to mind, but suddenly he was being lifted up and the only protest that stayed was "Oi! Put me down!"_

"_Hold on tight, Tantei-kun!" KID said cheerfully as he held the struggling boy— who froze— to his chest and activated his hangglider, "We're off to see the witch!"

* * *

_

After the rather long ride via hangglider, in which Conan was surprised by the overwhelming euphoria KID felt from being in the air (wherein KID had thought of absolutely nothing but the wind, and the freedom), they'd landed on the borders of a forest. The mansion they were standing in front of could, apparently, only be accessed by walking through the forest— there hadn't even been a path! An—

"Are you coming, Tantei-kun?" KID was already at the front steps and directing a raised eyebrow at him.

"Right," Conan coughed in slight embarrassment. Detectives were supposed to be observant, but he did not notice when KID started to walk to the door. He hurriedly followed the magician thief through the weeds that reached his knees in height. Damn his size.

As Conan approached, KID raised his hand to the chipped knocker shaped like a snake's head, but the door swung open and revealed a man before his hand even touched it. The man was hunchbacked and reminiscent of an oni(1). His hair was a shocking white and his eyes seemed a beady black. The man grinned, showing off rows of pointy teeth. "My mistress has been expecting you, Kaitou KID," his gaze slid down to the boy as he said, "Your little friend too."

Conan stared dubiously, but followed when they were ushered into the house. It was possible that the man said that to everyone, but he was willing to keep an open mind—who knows, this might be the real deal (plus, the 'witch' might be able to turn him back).

"So, what's your name, Ojisan?" KID's voice came lightly as they walked through the halls. '_I think I've seen this guy with Koizumi a few times._'

Koizumi? Who was that?

'_The local witch— used voodoo and black magic on me once._' Conan blinked as his vision _changed_. Suddenly he was outside the mansion again, but standing in a circular array while facing a teenage girl whose hair was a dark red and whose eyes were a shocking red. It seemed like there was glass over his right eye, and his left eye felt odd, like there was a thick liquid attempting to get into it but cou— and his vision returned to normal, leaving him blinking. A hand flew up to feel over his left eye. He knew that feeling— that was the feeling of having blood trying to get into your eye. As the hand fixed the glasses it had pushed up, he glanced at KID, who was staring right back at him with an unreadable face... Was that vision from KID? Was that an effect of their link? He hoped to kami that that was a fluke. "— have no names." Conan blinked once again. The man-servant was talking.

KID made a noise of curiosity as his gaze moved from Conan to where he was walking, "What are we supposed to call you then?"

"A name for him is unnecessary," came a soft voice.

All three stopped walking, and the man bowed to the teenage girl in front of them. Conan frowned. This girl was the one in his 'vision' earlier, and she brought out mixed feelings in him. This girl _hurt_ KID, whose policy is 'No one gets hurt'. This made him want to think ill of her but, then again, she was _so pretty_. Her hair seemed like strands of silk that made him want to run his hands through them, and her skin was so fair and looked so soft that it made him want to touch her. Her eyes were so beautiful that he wanted to see nothing but happiness expressed in them and maybe a bit of lo— _Okay, stop, stop, stop!_ Conan shook his head. _Ugh, I now know how having cobwebs in my mind feels like. What the hell was that?_

KID glanced back at him, and he thought he could see a bit of concern in his eyes.

'_You okay, Tantei-kun?_'

_... Yeah.. I think.._

"May I ask what you mean, Ojousan?" KID asked as his wary attention returned to her.

"Witch-servants know when they are being called or addressed and thus don't need a name," said the girl dismissively with what seemed to be a shrug. Conan fought to not be enthralled by the voice as well as the movement— the way the hair fell to one side, the way the skin stretched... What the hell was this!? "No one but us witches shall be calling them anyway." Her lips curved up into a secretive smile (_Damnit, damnit, damnit!_) as she said, "But you two aren't here to discuss that, are you?"

In response to this, a Cheshire's grin found its way onto KID's face. "You're right, Ojousan. We've come to ask if you could undo a situation we're in."

"Ah, yes, that... _telepathic_ link of yours," the girl— Koizumi— spoke, and the part of Conan's mind that could still function wondered at how she could know. "Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to help you with that."

It took an enormous amount of effort on Conan's part to pay attention and get his mind working. _Able to, but may not_. "Why not?" He asked, unable to bring himself to demand the answer from _such a pretty gi_— stop thinking, damnit. And as he did, he noticed that the witch-servant was gone— when had he left? He didn't notice any movement at all!

'_It's possible that it slipped your notice, Tantei-kun, as you __have__ been battling against Koizumi's charm, but it was the shadows that moved, not that... guy._' Following that was a string of thought-mumble which consisted of 'Was that even a guy? What was he? ... it? ... whatever?'

"Because it increases your chances of staying alive," she said bluntly. And though the statement was directed at KID rather than the one in the body of a child, it still captured Conan's attention— if only because of the seductress' voice. The detective almost missed the way KID's eyebrow raised. "Don't get me wrong," she continued haughtily, "I don't care if you die— since it means that all men will be my slaves— but you _are_ a great source of entertainment for me, so I'll keep you alive if only for that."

The grin returned as KID, apparently ignoring Koizumi's words, said, "Thank you for caring, Ojousan." He was given an annoyed glare, and Conan was torn between the part that wanted to tell KID off since Koizumi-sama (-s_ama? Why the heck am I addressing her like that?_) already said that she didn't care, the part that wanted to drown in euphoria of the possibility that Koizumi _cared_, and the part that was logical and telling himself to shove all the meaningless emotions aside since they weren't his at all. "I suppose we'll take our leave now."

In the back of Conan's mind, KID's footsteps, which were getting farther away, registered, but the shrunken teen couldn't bring himself to care as he continued staring at the goddess-like being in front of him. Said beauty was looking back at him in amusement. _I'm being graced with Koizumi-sama's notice!_ ('_Tantei-kun? ... Oh dear..._') And that same corner of his mind noted KID's footsteps, this time getting closer.

The world tilted, and he yelped, all thoughts of _Koizumi-sama_ chased away by the thought of being manhandled _again_ by KID.

"Oi! Put me down!"

"Only if you promise to not look back."

He didn't need to ask.

* * *

Once she felt the two's auras step out of her front door, Akako allowed her frown to show. "That boy... he shouldn't have been so affected by my allure..."

"Not a boy, Ojousama," her servant supplied.

"I am well aware of that," Akako snapped. "The boy has a powerful aura with the aggressiveness of the devil. The aura is exactly the same as the one who almost captured Kuroba-kun at that heist."

"... What do you plan to do, Ojousama? The link will only get stronger, until the two bleed into each other and they become one person."

"Kuroba-kun is strong, and so is that boy," the witch said. "That boy was affected by my allure, but was able to fight it enough that he was actually able to question me."

"I could feel his resistance, Ojousama, but is that enough?"

"Yes, it is. They will make it work."


End file.
